Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08
AROUND WILLIAMSBURG.


hshed his headquarters near there He sent
his cavalry, with artillery. under Stoneman,
May 4, to pursue Johnston Stoneman
caught up with Stuart's cavalry near the
Halfway house. Here was a line of Con-
federate works waiting for him In front of
him was a large redoubt of earthworks called
Fort Magruder. There was some skirmish-
ing, then Stoneman retreated TO wait the ar
rival Of infantry 10 cooperate with him. As
he did so be left his own cannon behind Ilim,
inglorio,lsly stuck in the mud
May Hooker had marched with the in
fantry by a shorter road on the right TO join
Stoneman. Gen. W. +. Smith followed by
the Lees Mill road on the left After him
moved COUGHS and Casey's divisions. Kear-
news followed Hooker on the right Sum
ner's corps followed next day. Franklms
and Fitz John Porter's divisions were TO be
sent up the York river from Yorktown by
water Gen. Mcclellan stayed till the last at
Yorktown.
The Federal troops engaged in the fight at
Williamsburg were tIookor's and Smiths iii
| visions and Kearney's divisions, besides part
of COUGHS On the Confederate side Long
street commanded
Hooker fulfilled his orders TO the letter At
| daybreak May 5, he came in sight Of VIII
| liamsburg Knowing that plenty of re-
| endorsements were behind him, he attacked
at once with bis 900 men. All the while the
plan of the Confe,lerates was to retreat
slowly toward Richmond, keeping a strong
rear guard back of them till they could place
| the Chickahominy between themselves and
the enemy. 1t was mastery movement
/ yac tbis cfrpnr roar o1larJ ,pbiob ba0a,,
the battle of Williamsburg, though re-en-
| forcements from the front speedily were sent
| back.
| Hooker, fighting hotly at the front sent re
| peatedly to the commanding officer for help
But the simple fact is there was no com
manding officer. A conflict of authority
arose between Sumner and Heintzelman, who
dsliked each other So nothing was done TO
relieve Hooker
Still the rain fell, as it had been doing for
a month Artillery wheels sank to the center
in the mud, but Fighting Joe Hooker Kept
until night on the ground that had been
abandoned
Not paying any attention TO Hooker, who
was fighting ON the Federal left Sumner de
cided to make movement on the right A
Confederate redouht on Cub Dam creek, east
of Fort Magruder, was reported empty.
Sumner ordered Gen Winfield Scot, Han
cock to go and take possession Of it. He did
so, and likewise took possession of another
earthwork i'll advance # t. He wished +!
take q third one, stiil nearer Fort MaGruder,
and repeatedly sent for re-enforcementS to
enable him TO 10 Sc Sumner twice ordered
them TO go 10 his aid and twice counter
manded the order Hancock sent again ur-
gently, and that time Sumner ordered him to
fall back. Thus Hancock got no more sup
port than Hooker did. 1t seemed, somehow,
to be a battle without head.
Hancock was extremely loath to obey sucl
an order, knowing the advantage that might
be gained lie determined to obey as slowly
as possible, Meantime the enemy poured il
upon him. He began retreatius slowly before
them. Suddenly he turned on them and opened
terrific musket fire. As the smoke from
that cleared away somewhat he shouted tC
his men; Now, gentlemen, the bayonet.
His soldiers made tremendous bayone'
charge That decided the day. The Confed
crates broke and fed. They lost on that par
of the battlefield alone $50. Hancock wa:
superb Gen. Mcclellan telegraphed mex
day.
So Hooker and Kearney on the left and
Hancock on the right saved the day at VII
liaulshurg May 5, lst2
, But the ConfederateS got Off and continue,
their retreat toward Richmond, Just as theN
had intended. Next day the pursuing army
, captured a few Of their guns, which La,
mired in the mud and been abandoned
That, with some stray prisoners, was the sun
total of the Federal spols of war after thi
battle The Union forces lost 2.22S in killet
and wounded the Confederates 1850
, Gen. Mcclellan was not on the field till nea
a | ) O'Clock i'll the afternoon He was at York
town experimenting the removal of tn
) forces that were TO go up the York by water
Word was sent to him at l O'Clock that tn
| | battle was on, and hotly. and urging him {
go to the front He answered simply. .
: think they can take care Of that little matter.
In his hook-McClellan' own hook-he says:
q Could have arrived at O'Clock, IT is yer
certain that Smith, supported 10y Couch an
q afterward by Casey, wca!d at once have dc
bouched from Hancock ground and have Gu
, of the retreat of the greater part of til
| I